JP2018019181A - program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a program of an information processing terminal which properly displays status of an image processing apparatus, without increasing the load on the image processing apparatus or a communication network.SOLUTION: A program causes an information processing terminal to execute, at a predetermined time interval, acquisition processing for acquiring status information from an image processing apparatus (S11, S17, S20), and display processing for displaying status indicated by the status information (S13), repeatedly. The program causes the information processing terminal to execute, in the acquisition processing, first receiving processing of receiving first information from the image processing apparatus, as a response to first request information, and second receiving processing of receiving second information from the image processing apparatus, as a response to second request information, upon determination that a setting value of the first information is a first value corresponding to an operation state. The program causes the information processing terminal not to execute the second receiving processing upon determination that the setting value of the first information is a second value corresponding to a sleep state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a program for an information processing terminal that displays a status indicated by status information received from an image processing apparatus on a display.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that can check the status of a peripheral device with a host device. More specifically, the host device described in Patent Document 1 requests the peripheral device to transmit status information, and causes the display to display the status indicated by the status information received from the peripheral device.

JP 2006-076147 A

  When the peripheral device switches from the normal power mode to the power saving mode, the host device described in Patent Document 1 temporarily stops the transmission request for status information until the notified return time to the normal power mode. That is, the host device cannot obtain the status information of the peripheral device until the peripheral device returns to the normal power mode. In addition, the peripheral device needs to store in advance a host device that should be notified of the return time or broadcast the return time to the communication network. That is, the configuration of Patent Document 1 is a configuration in which the load on the peripheral device or the communication network is excessive.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing terminal capable of appropriately displaying the status of an image processing device without increasing the load on the image processing device or communication network. To provide a program.

  Various disclosures are provided herein. A program which is an example of the disclosed example can be read by an information processing terminal including a communication interface and a display. The program includes an acquisition process for acquiring status information indicating a status of the image processing apparatus from an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that processes image data, and the status indicated by the status information acquired in the acquisition process. Is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals by the information processing terminal. The status information includes at least one of first information and second information. The first information is set to a first value when the power is supplied to the image processing unit, and is set to a second value when the power is not supplied to the image processing unit. Information. The second information is information that can be acquired in the operation state and cannot be acquired in the sleep state. In the acquisition process, the program transmits first request information for requesting transmission of the first information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface, and the first request for the first information. As a response to the information, a first reception process received from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface, and a set value of the first information received in the first reception process is either the first value or the second value The information processing terminal is caused to execute a first determination process for determining. The program transmits second request information for requesting transmission of the second information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface in response to the determination of the first value in the first determination process. The information processing terminal is further caused to execute a request process and a second reception process for receiving the second information as a response to the second request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface. The program does not cause the information processing terminal to execute the second request process and the second reception process in response to the determination of the second value in the first determination process.

  A program, which is another example of the disclosed example, can be read by an information processing terminal including a communication interface and a display. The program includes an acquisition process for acquiring status information indicating a status of the image processing apparatus from an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that processes image data, and the status indicated by the status information acquired in the acquisition process. Is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals by the information processing terminal. The status information includes at least one of first information and second information. The first information is set to a first value when the power is supplied to the image processing unit, and is set to a second value when the power is not supplied to the image processing unit. Information. The second information is information that can be acquired in the operation state and cannot be acquired in the sleep state. In the acquisition process, the program causes the information processing terminal to execute a first determination process for determining whether a setting value of the first information is the first value or the second value. The program sends all request information requesting transmission of both the first information and the second information to the image processing through the communication interface in response to the determination of the first value in the first determination processing. Causing the information processing terminal to execute all request processing to be transmitted to the apparatus and all reception processing to receive the first information and the second information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface as a response to the all request information. . In response to the determination of the second value in the first determination process, the program includes partial request information for requesting transmission of only the first information of the first information and the second information. The partial request processing to be transmitted to the image processing device through the communication interface, and the partial reception processing to receive the first information from the image processing device through the communication interface as a response to the partial request information. Have the processing terminal execute.

  According to the above configuration, the transmission of the second information is requested when the first value is set in the first information, and the transmission of the second information is requested when the second value is set in the first information. do not do. Thereby, in order to transmit 2nd information to an information processing terminal, it can suppress that an image processing apparatus is switched from a sleep state to an operation state. Further, since the image processing apparatus transmits status information in response to a request from the information processing terminal, the load on the image processing apparatus or the communication network is not increased.

  A program, which is another example of the disclosed example, can be read by an information processing terminal including a communication interface and a display. The program includes an acquisition process for acquiring status information indicating a status of the image processing apparatus from an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that processes image data, and the status indicated by the status information acquired in the acquisition process. Is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals by the information processing terminal. The status information includes first information and second information. The first information is set to a first value when the power is supplied to the image processing unit, and is set to a second value when the power is not supplied to the image processing unit. Information. The second information is information that can be acquired in the operation state and cannot be acquired in the sleep state. In the acquisition process, the program receives a request process for transmitting status request information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface, and receives the status information from the image processing apparatus as a response to the status request information through the communication interface. The information processing terminal is configured to execute a receiving process to perform and a determination process to determine whether the set value of the first information received in the receiving process is the first value or the second value. The program causes the information processing terminal to execute the next acquisition process at a timing when a first time has passed in response to the determination of the first value in the determination process, and the second value in the determination process When the second time longer than the first time has elapsed, the information processing terminal is caused to execute the next acquisition process.

  According to the above configuration, the execution interval of the acquisition process is shortened when the first value is set in the first information, and the execution interval of the acquisition process is long when the second value is set in the first information. Become. Thereby, in order to transmit 2nd information to an information processing terminal, it can suppress that an image processing apparatus is switched from a sleep state to an operation state. Further, since the image processing apparatus transmits status information in response to a request from the information processing terminal, the load on the image processing apparatus or the communication network is not increased.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of status display processing according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of status acquisition processing according to the embodiment. 4A and 4B are display examples of the display 53. FIG. 4A shows a status screen when the MFP 10 is in a ready state, and FIG. 4B shows a status screen when the MFP 10 is in a sleep state. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of status acquisition processing according to the first modification. FIG. 6 is a flowchart according to the second modification, in which (A) shows a status display process and (B) shows a status acquisition process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 according to the present embodiment. A system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an MFP (abbreviation for MultiFunction Peripheral) 10 and an information processing terminal 50. Further, the system 100 may include a printer single-function device instead of the MFP 10. The MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 are configured to be able to communicate with each other through the communication network 101. Although the specific example of the communication network 101 is not specifically limited, For example, the internet, wired LAN, wireless LAN, or these combination may be sufficient. Alternatively, the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 may be connected by a USB cable or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 10 includes a printer 11, a scanner 12, a display 23, an input I / F 24, a communication I / F 25, a mounting unit 26, a main CPU 31 </ b> A, and a sub CPU 31 </ b> B (collectively named). And the memory 32 and the communication bus 33 are mainly provided. Each component constituting the MFP 10 is connected to each other through the communication bus 33.

  The printer 11 executes a printing operation for recording an image indicated by the image data on a sheet. In the present embodiment, an ink jet printer 11 that records an image by ejecting ink onto a sheet will be described. However, the recording method of the printer 11 may be an electrophotographic method or the like. The scanner 12 executes a scan operation for reading the image recorded on the document and generating scan data.

  The display 23 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and includes a display screen that displays various types of information.

  The input I / F 24 is a user interface that receives an input operation by a user. Specifically, the input I / F 24 includes a button, and outputs various operation signals associated with the pressed button to the CPU 31. Further, the input I / F 24 may include a film-like touch sensor superimposed on the display surface of the display 23. An operation for designating an object displayed on the display surface of the display 23 and an operation for inputting a character string or a numeric string are examples of user operations. The “object” is, for example, a character string, icon, button, link, radio button, check box, pull-down menu, or the like displayed on the display 23.

  The input I / F 24 implemented as a touch sensor outputs position information indicating the position on the display surface touched by the user. Note that “touch” in this specification includes all operations for bringing an input medium into contact with a display surface. In addition, even if the input medium is not touching the display surface, “hover” or “floating touch” that brings the input medium close to a position where the distance to the display surface is very small is based on the concept of “touch” described above. May be included. Furthermore, the input medium may be a user's finger or a touch pen. The user operation for tapping the position of the object displayed on the display 23 is an example of a specifying operation for specifying the object.

  The communication I / F 25 is an interface that can communicate with an external device via the communication network 101. That is, the MFP 10 transmits various types of information to the external device through the communication I / F 25 and receives various types of information from the external device through the communication I / F 25. Although the specific communication procedure of communication I / F25 is not specifically limited, For example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance) is employable. When the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 are connected by a USB cable or the like, the communication I / F 25 may be a USB interface to which the USB cable can be attached and detached.

  An ink cartridge storing ink is attached to and detached from the mounting portion 26. The printer 11 that executes the printing operation ejects the ink stored in the ink cartridge attached to the attachment unit 26 onto the sheet. For example, four ink cartridges each storing one of black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink are detachably attached to the mounting portion 26. The mounting portion 26 includes a sensor (not shown) that detects the remaining amount of ink stored in the mounted ink cartridge (hereinafter referred to as “ink remaining amount”). It is assumed that the sensor can individually detect the remaining amount of ink in each of the four ink cartridges attached to the attachment unit 26.

  The ink stored in the ink cartridge is an example of a consumable that is used by the image processing unit to process the image data. However, specific examples of consumables are not limited to these, and may be toner stored in a toner cartridge, sheets stored in a tray, or the like. The ink remaining amount is an example of a consumable state. Furthermore, the sensor for detecting the state of the consumables may be a mechanical sensor or an optical sensor, a software sensor for counting the amount of consumables used, or a combination thereof.

  The CPU 31 controls the overall operation of the MFP 10. The CPU 31 acquires and executes various programs, which will be described later, from the memory 32 based on various information output from the input I / F 24, various information received from an external device through the communication I / F 25, and the like. More specifically, the main CPU 31A controls the MFP 10 by reading a device program 35 (to be described later) from the memory 32 and executing it. On the other hand, the sub CPU 31B controls the MFP 10 in accordance with an instruction from the main CPU 31A. The main CPU 31A is an example of a first controller, and the sub CPU 31B is an example of a second controller. The main CPU 31A and the sub CPU 31B may be mounted on the substrate as separate chips, or may be mounted on the substrate as one chip.

  The memory 32 stores an OS 34 and a device program 35. The device program 35 may be a single program or a collection of a plurality of programs. The memory 32 stores data or information necessary for executing the device program 35. The memory 32 is configured by, for example, a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, an HDD, a portable storage medium such as a USB memory attached to and detached from the MFP 10, a buffer provided in the CPU 31, or a combination thereof.

  The memory 32 may be a computer readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. Non-transitory media include recording media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM in addition to the above examples. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, an electrical signal that carries a program downloaded from a server on the Internet is a computer-readable signal medium that is a kind of computer-readable medium, but a non-transitory computer-readable storage. Not included in the media. The same applies to the memory 62 of the information processing terminal 50 described later.

  The device program 35 causes the printer 11 to execute a printing operation in response to receiving print instruction information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. The print instruction information is information for instructing execution of the print operation, and includes, for example, image data to be subjected to the print operation. Further, the device program 35 causes the scanner 12 to execute a scan operation in response to receiving scan instruction information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. The scan instruction information is information for instructing execution of a scan operation, and includes, for example, information indicating a storage location (for example, a USB memory, the information processing terminal 50, etc.) of generated scan data. Hereinafter, the print instruction information and the scan instruction information are collectively referred to as “instruction information”.

  Further, the apparatus program 35 transmits status information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 in response to receiving status request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. The status request information is information for requesting transmission of status information. The status request information is one of all request information, partial request information, first request information, and second request information, which will be described later. The status information is information indicating the status of the MFP 10. The status information includes at least one of power source information described later and remaining amount information described later.

  The MFP 10 has a power supply unit (not shown). The power supply unit supplies the power supplied from the external power supply through the power plug to each component of the MFP 10. The MFP 10 operates using power supplied from an external power source through the power source unit. Further, the power supply unit of the MFP 10 can be switched between an operation state and a sleep state.

  The operating state is a state where power is supplied to at least the printer 11 and the scanner 12. More specifically, the operating state is a state where power is supplied to all the components of the MFP 10 shown in FIG. The sleep state is a state where power is not supplied to at least the printer 11 and the scanner 12. More specifically, the operating state means that power is supplied to the input I / F 24, the communication I / F 25, the main CPU 31A, and a part of the memory 32 (for example, ROM, EEPROM), the printer 11, the scanner 12, and the display. 23, power is not supplied to the mounting portion 26, the sub CPU 31B, and another part of the memory 32 (for example, RAM).

  For example, when the power supply unit is in a sleep state, the main CPU 31A responds to reception of a user operation through the input I / F 24, or according to reception of instruction information or all request information described later through the communication I / F 25. The power supply unit is switched from the sleep state to the operation state. In addition, the main CPU 31A starts a sleep timer that detects that a predetermined threshold time has elapsed, for example, in response to switching the power supply unit to an operating state.

  The main CPU 31A activates the power supply unit in response to the fact that the user operation is not accepted through the input I / F 24 and the instruction information or all the request information is not received through the communication I / F 25 until the sleep timer times out. Switch from sleep to sleep. Further, the main CPU 31A resets the sleep timer in response to receiving a user operation through the input I / F 24 or receiving instruction information through the communication I / F 25 before the sleep timer times out. . On the other hand, even if the main CPU 31A receives status request information through the communication I / F 25 before the sleep timer times out, the main CPU 31A does not reset the sleep timer.

  Further, the main CPU 31 </ b> A stores power supply information indicating the state of the power supply unit in the EEPROM of the memory 32 in response to switching the power supply unit from one of the operating state and the sleep state to the other. The main CPU 31A reads power supply information from the EEPROM. The power supply information is an example of first information in which a first value “ready” is set when the power supply unit is in an operating state and a second value “sleep” is set when the power supply unit is in a sleep state. The power supply information is information stored in an EEPROM that can be read when the power supply unit is in an operating state or a sleep state. Furthermore, the power supply information is information acquired by the main CPU 31A.

  On the other hand, the sub CPU 31B acquires, for example, remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of ink from the sensor. For example, in response to a request for remaining amount information from the main CPU 31A, the sub CPU 31B obtains remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of ink from the sensor, stores the obtained remaining amount information in the RAM of the memory 32, and stores the remaining amount information. A pointer indicating the start address of the RAM in which the quantity information is stored is notified to the main CPU 31A. The remaining amount information is an example of second information indicating the state of the consumable item. The remaining amount information is information stored in an EEPROM that can be read only when the power supply unit is in an operating state. Furthermore, the remaining amount information is information acquired by the sub CPU 31B.

  The remaining amount information is, for example, information indicating the ratio of the current ink remaining amount of the ink cartridge when the remaining amount of ink of a new ink cartridge is 100%. The remaining amount information includes, for example, the remaining amount of black ink, the remaining amount of cyan ink, the remaining amount of magenta ink, and the remaining amount of yellow ink. However, the specific example of the remaining amount information is not limited to this, and may be information indicating whether the remaining amount of ink is greater than or less than a threshold value, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing terminal 50 mainly includes a display 53, an input I / F 54, a communication I / F 55, a CPU 61, a memory 62, and a communication bus 63. The display 53, input I / F 54, communication I / F 55, CPU 61, memory 62, and communication bus 63 included in the information processing terminal 50 are the display 23, input I / F 24, communication I / F 25, CPU 31, included in the MFP 10. Since the configuration is the same as that of the memory 32 and the communication bus 33, the description thereof is omitted. The CPU 61 and the memory 62 are an example of a controller. Note that the CPU 61 may not be divided into a main CPU and a sub CPU.

  The information processing terminal 50 is, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC. More specifically, the display 53 of the information processing terminal 50 desirably has a display screen size of 12 inches or less, more preferably 8 inches or less. The input I / F 54 of the information processing terminal 50 is preferably a touch panel superimposed on the display screen of the display 53.

  Although illustration is omitted, the memory 62 can store status information and a communication flag. The status information is status information acquired from the MFP 10 by an acquisition process described later. The communication flag is information indicating whether communication with the MFP 10 is possible. In the communication flag, a third value “online” corresponding to communication with the MFP 10 or a fourth value “offline” corresponding to inability to communicate with the MFP 10 is set.

  With reference to FIG.2 and FIG.3, operation | movement of the system 100 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.

  The flowchart of this specification basically shows the processing of the CPU 31 in accordance with instructions described in the program. That is, processes such as “judgment”, “extraction”, “selection”, “calculation”, “decision”, “specification”, and “control” in the following description represent processes of the CPU 31. The processing by the CPU 31 includes hardware control via the OS 34. Further, “data” in this specification is represented by a bit string readable by a computer. Data having substantially the same semantic content but different formats are handled as the same data. The same applies to “information” in this specification.

  The OS 64 of the information processing terminal 50 activates the terminal program 65 in response to accepting a user operation for instructing activation of the terminal program 65 through the input I / F 54. The terminal program 65 executes the status display process shown in FIG. 2 in response to being activated by the OS 64.

  The terminal program 65 first executes all acquisition processing in the status display processing (S11). The all acquisition process is an example of an acquisition process for acquiring both power supply information and remaining amount information from the MFP 10. More specifically, the entire acquisition process is a process of acquiring status information including both power supply information and remaining amount information from the MFP 10 without determining whether the MFP 10 is in an operating state or a sleep state. The details of the entire acquisition process will be described with reference to S46 to S49 in FIG.

  First, the terminal program 65 transmits all request information to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 (S46). The all request information is an example of status request information for requesting the MFP 10 to transmit both power information and remaining amount information. Next, the terminal program 65 receives status information including power supply information and remaining amount information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 as a response to all request information (S47). The process of S46 is an example of an all request process, and the process of S47 is an example of an all reception process.

  Then, the terminal program 65 stores the status information received in S47 in the memory 62. When the status information is already stored in the memory 62, the terminal program 65 overwrites the status information already stored in the memory 62 with the newly received status information. That is, only the status information acquired in the latest acquisition process is stored in the memory 62.

  Further, in response to receiving the status information in S47 (S47: Yes), the terminal program 65 sets the third value “online” in the communication flag (S48) and ends the all acquisition process. On the other hand, the terminal program 65 sets the fourth value “offline” in the communication flag in response to not receiving the status information in S47 (S47: No) (S49), and ends the all acquisition process.

  Note that the status information is not received in S47 means that, for example, a TCP connection for transmitting all request information cannot be established with the MFP 10, even if a predetermined time elapses after all request information is transmitted. For example, status information cannot be received. The process of determining whether or not communication with the MFP 10 in S47 is an example of a second determination process. The same applies to S32, S35, and S43 described later.

  On the other hand, although not shown, the apparatus program 35 of the MFP 10 receives all request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. Next, the device program 35 reads power supply information from the EEPROM through the main CPU 31A. Next, in response to the first value “ready” being set in the read power supply information, the device program 35 reads the remaining amount information from the RAM through the sub CPU 31B. Then, the apparatus program 35 transmits status information including the power supply information “ready” read through the main CPU 31A and the remaining amount information read through the sub CPU 31B to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25.

  Further, the device program 35 switches the power supply unit from the sleep state to the operating state in response to the second value “sleep” being set in the read power supply information, and the power supply information stored in the EEPROM is stored in the second power supply information. The value “sleep” is changed to the first value “ready”. Next, the device program 35 reads the remaining amount information from the RAM through the sub CPU 31B. Then, the device program 35 transmits status information including the changed power supply information “Ready” and the remaining amount information read through the sub CPU 31 </ b> B to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the terminal program 65 starts the first timer and the second timer (S12). The first timer is a timer that detects that the first time has elapsed since the acquisition process was executed. The second timer is a timer that detects that the second time has elapsed since the execution of the acquisition process. For example, the first time may be 30 seconds and the second time may be 300 seconds. That is, the second time is longer than the first time.

  Next, the terminal program 65 displays the status screen shown in FIG. 4 on the display 53 (S13). The status screen is a screen for displaying the status of the MFP 10 indicated by the status information acquired in the immediately preceding acquisition process, that is, the status information stored in the memory 62. The process of S13 is an example of a display process. Then, the terminal program 65 keeps the status until the user operation on the status screen is received through the input I / F 54 (S14: No) or until the first timer or the second timer times out (S15: No / S16: No). Wait with the screen displayed.

  The status screen displays “power status: ready / sleep” corresponding to the power status setting value, “communication status: online / offline” corresponding to the communication flag setting value, and the ink remaining amount indicated by the remaining amount information. A bar graph to represent, an [update] icon 111, and an [end] icon 112. [Update] icon 111 is an example of an update object corresponding to an instruction to update status information. The [End] icon 112 corresponds to an instruction to end the status display process.

  Next, the terminal program 65 executes the processes of S17 and S18 in response to accepting the designation of the [update] icon 111 through the input I / F 54 (S14: update). Further, the terminal program 65 executes the processes of S17 and S18 in response to the second timer being timed out without accepting the user operation through the input I / F 54 (S14: No & S15: Yes). When the first timer and the second timer time out at the same time, the terminal program 65 assumes that the second timer has timed out and executes the processes after S17.

  Further, the terminal program 65 determines the set value of the communication flag in response to the fact that the first timer has timed out without accepting the user operation through the input I / F 54 (S14: No & S15: No & S16: Yes) (S19). . Then, in response to determining that the fourth value “offline” is set in the communication flag (S19: offline), the terminal program 65 determines that communication with the MFP 10 is not possible during the previous acquisition process. Accordingly, the processes of S17 and S18 are executed. The processes of S17 and S18 may be the same as the processes of S11 and S12.

  Next, the terminal program 65 executes the processing of S13 after executing the processing of S17 and S18. That is, when new status information is received in S17 (S47: Yes), the apparatus program 35 displays a status screen based on the new status information (S13). In this case, “communication state: online”. On the other hand, when no new status information is received in S17 (S47: No), the apparatus program 35 displays a status screen based on the status information stored in the memory 62 before the execution of S17 (S13). In this case, “communication state: offline”.

  Further, the terminal program 65 executes status acquisition processing in response to determining that the first timer has timed out and the third value “online” is set in the communication flag (S16: Yes & S19: online). (S20). The status acquisition process is an example of an acquisition process for acquiring only the power supply information of the power supply information and the remaining amount information, or acquiring both the power supply information and the remaining amount information from the MFP 10. Details of the status acquisition process will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the terminal program 65 transmits first request information to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 (S31). The first request information is an example of status request information that requests the MFP 10 to transmit only the power information among the power information and the remaining amount information. The process of S31 is an example of a first request process.

  On the other hand, although not shown, the device program 35 of the MFP 10 receives the first request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. Next, the device program 35 reads power supply information from the EEPROM through the main CPU 31A. Then, the device program 35 transmits status information including the read power supply information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. This process is executed in the same way regardless of whether the power supply unit is in an operating state or a sleep state. Further, the state of the power supply unit cannot be switched by this process.

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives status information including only the power supply information of the power supply information and the remaining amount information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 as a response to the first request information (S32: Yes). Then, the terminal program 65 stores the power supply information received in S32 in the memory 62. On the other hand, the remaining amount information stored in the memory 62 is not overwritten. Next, the terminal program 65 determines which of the first value and the second value is set in the power supply information received in S32 (S33). The process of S32 is an example of a first reception process, and the process of S33 is an example of a first determination process.

  Next, when the terminal program 65 determines that the first value “ready” is set in the power supply information received in S <b> 32 (S <b> 33: ready), the second request information is sent to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55. Is transmitted (S34). The second request information is an example of status request information that requests the MFP 10 to transmit only the remaining amount information of the power supply information and the remaining amount information. The process of S31 is an example of a second request process.

  On the other hand, although not shown, the apparatus program 35 of the MFP 10 receives the second request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. Next, the device program 35 reads the remaining amount information from the RAM through the sub CPU 31B. Then, the apparatus program 35 transmits status information including the read remaining amount information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. This process is executed only when the power supply unit is in an operating state.

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives status information including only the remaining amount information of the power supply information and the remaining amount information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 as a response to the second request information (S35: Yes). Then, the terminal program 65 stores the remaining amount information received in S35 in the memory 62. On the other hand, the power supply information stored in the memory 62 is not overwritten. The process of S35 is an example of a second reception process. Next, the terminal program 65 sets the third value “online” in the communication flag (S36), and ends the status acquisition process.

  On the other hand, in response to determining that the second value “sleep” is set in the power supply information received in S32 (S33: sleep), the terminal program 65 skips the processes of S34 and S35 and sets the communication flag. The third value “online” is set (S36), and the status acquisition process is terminated. That is, the terminal program 65 does not transmit the second request information to the MFP 10 in response to determining that the MFP 10 is in the sleep state.

  Further, the terminal program 65 skips the processing of S36 and sets the fourth value “offline” in the communication flag in response to not receiving the remaining amount information through the communication I / F 55 (S35: No). (S37) The status acquisition process ends. Further, the terminal program 65 skips the processing of S33 to S36 and sets the fourth value “offline” in the communication flag in response to not receiving the power supply information through the communication I / F 55 (S32: No). (S37), and the status acquisition process ends.

  Next, returning to FIG. 2, the terminal program 65 starts the first timer in response to the execution of the status acquisition process (S21). On the other hand, the second timer started in the immediately preceding S12 and S18 is not reset. And the terminal program 65 performs the process of S13, after performing the process of S21. Since this process is common to the process of S13 after the process of S18 is executed, description thereof is omitted. Then, the terminal program 65 repeatedly executes the above-described processing until the [END] icon 112 is tapped.

  That is, the terminal program 65 executes the acquisition process (S17, S20) and the display process (S13) every time the first timer or the second timer times out. In other words, the terminal program 65 repeatedly executes the acquisition process (S17, S20) and the display process (S13) at predetermined time intervals. Further, the terminal program 65 executes the next acquisition process before the timer times out in response to the tapping of the [update] icon 111. Then, the terminal program 65 ends the status display process in response to accepting the designation of the [end] icon 112 through the input I / F 54 (S14: end).

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the above embodiment, transmission of the remaining amount information is requested when the first value “ready” is set in the power supply information, and remaining when the second value “sleep” is set in the power supply information. Do not request transmission of quantity information. Thereby, in order to transmit the remaining amount information to the information processing terminal 50, the MFP 10 can be prevented from being switched from the sleep state to the operation state. In addition, since the MFP 10 transmits status information in response to a request from the information processing terminal 50, the load on the MFP 10 or the communication network 101 is not increased.

  Further, if the MFP 10 returns from the sleep state to the sleep state again after the first timer times out, there is a possibility that the information processing terminal 50 cannot receive the remaining amount information for a long period of time. That is, there is a possibility that the latest status of the MFP 10 cannot be notified through the status screen. Therefore, as described above, both the power supply information and the remaining amount information are received regardless of the state of the MFP 10 when the second timer having a longer monitoring time than the first timer times out. Thereby, a change in the status of the MFP 10 can be appropriately notified.

  Further, there is a possibility that communication between the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 may be temporarily disabled due to various causes such as an increase in traffic on the communication network 101. If the MFP 10 returns from the sleep state to the sleep state during the inoperable period, the information processing terminal 50 may not receive the remaining amount information for a long period of time. Therefore, as described above, when communication is not possible at the time of the previous acquisition process, both the power supply information and the remaining amount information are received regardless of the state of the MFP 10. Thereby, a change in the status of the MFP 10 can be appropriately notified.

  Furthermore, it is considered that the user of the information processing terminal 50 taps the [Update] icon 111 when, for example, the user wants to know the latest status of the MFP 10. Therefore, when the [Update] icon 111 is tapped, the latest status of the MFP 10 can be notified to the user by receiving both the power supply information and the remaining amount information regardless of the state of the MFP 10.

  In the above embodiment, the first information received in S32, S43, and S47 is not limited to the power supply information itself. That is, the first information may be information indicating another state of the MFP 10 as long as different values are set when the MFP 10 is in the operating state and when the MFP 10 is in the sleep state.

  The first information received in S32, S43, and S47 may further include information different from the power supply state. For example, in S32, S43, and S47, the device program 35 includes notification information received from the server (not shown) by the MFP 10 via the communication I / F 25, and history indicating the presence or absence of data received by the MFP 10 from the external device via the FAX unit (not shown). Information, timer information indicating the remaining time until the printing operation executed by the MFP 10 at a predetermined time, and the like may be further acquired as the first information.

  Furthermore, the second information received in S35 and S47 is not limited to the remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of ink. As another example of the remaining amount information, the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner cartridge may be indicated, or the remaining amount of the sheet placed on the tray may be indicated. The second information is not limited to the remaining amount information. For example, the second information may be information indicating whether or not a jammed state where a foreign material is jammed in the sheet conveyance path in the printer 11 or the scanner 12.

[Modification 1]
In the status acquisition process illustrated in FIG. 3, the example in which the power supply information and the remaining amount information are sequentially acquired from the MFP 10 has been described. However, a specific example of the status acquisition process is not limited to the status acquisition process shown in FIG. Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the status acquisition process according to the first modification will be described. A detailed description of points common to the above-described embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

  First, the terminal program 65 determines which of the first value and the second value is set in the power supply information stored in the memory 62 (S41). That is, the terminal program 65 determines the set value of the power information acquired from the MFP 10 in the previous acquisition process. The process of S41 is an example of a first determination process. Then, in response to determining that the first value “ready” is set in the power supply information (S41: ready), the terminal program 65 executes the processes of S46 to S49. Since the process of S46-S49 is the same as all the acquisition processes, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  On the other hand, although not shown, the apparatus program 35 of the MFP 10 receives all request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. Next, the device program 35 reads power supply information from the EEPROM through the main CPU 31A. Next, in response to the first value “ready” being set in the read power supply information, the device program 35 reads the remaining amount information from the RAM through the sub CPU 31B. Then, the apparatus program 35 transmits status information including the read power supply information and remaining amount information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25.

  Further, the device program 35 switches the power supply unit from the sleep state to the operating state in response to the second value “sleep” being set in the read power supply information, and the power supply information stored in the EEPROM is stored in the second power supply information. The value “sleep” is changed to the first value “ready”. Next, the device program 35 reads the remaining amount information from the RAM through the sub CPU 31B. Then, the apparatus program 35 transmits status information including the read power supply information and remaining amount information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. Note that the status information transmitted at this time includes power information read before switching to the operating state, that is, power information in which the second value “sleep” is set. In the first modification, the threshold time of the sleep timer is shorter than the first time of the first timer.

  Further, in response to determining that the second value “sleep” is set in the power supply information (S41: sleep), the terminal program 65 transmits partial request information to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 (S42). ). The partial request information corresponds to the first request information described in S31. Then, the terminal program 65 receives status information including only the power supply information of the power supply information and the remaining amount information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 as a response to the partial request information (S43: Yes). The process of S42 is an example of a partial request process, and the process of S43 is an example of a partial reception process. Since the process of S42-S45 is the same as the process of S23, S33, S36, and S37, description is abbreviate | omitted.

[Modification 2]
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which transmission of remaining amount information is requested when the MFP 10 is in an operating state, and transmission of remaining amount information is not requested when the MFP 10 is in a sleeping state. However, a specific example of the status display process is not limited to the example of FIG. With reference to FIG. 6, another example of status display processing and status acquisition processing will be described. A detailed description of points common to the above-described embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

  The terminal program 65 executes the status display process shown in FIG. 6A in response to being activated by the OS 64. Then, the terminal program 65 first executes a status acquisition process in the status display process (S51). The process of S51 is an example of an acquisition process. Details of the status acquisition process will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the terminal program 65 transmits all request information to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 (S61). Next, the terminal program 65 receives status information including power supply information and remaining amount information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 55 as a response to all the request information (S62). Then, the terminal program 65 stores the status information received in S62 in the memory 62. That is, in the status acquisition process according to the second modification, status information including both power supply information and remaining amount information is always acquired from the MFP 10. Since the processing of S61 and S62 is the same as the processing of S46 and S47, description thereof is omitted. The process of S61 is an example of a request process, and the process of S62 is an example of a reception process.

  Next, the terminal program 65 determines which of the first value and the second value is set in the power supply information received in S62 (S63). The process of S63 is an example of a determination process. Then, in response to determining that the first value “ready” is set in the power supply information (S63: ready), the terminal program 65 starts the first timer (S64) and ends the status acquisition process. To do. On the other hand, in response to determining that the second value “sleep” is set in the power supply information (S63: sleep), the terminal program 65 starts the second timer (S65) and ends the status acquisition process. To do.

  Next, returning to FIG. 6A, the terminal program 65 causes the display 53 to display a status screen based on the status information acquired in the immediately preceding S41 (S52). The process of S52 is an example of a display process. The terminal program 65 displays the status screen until the timer started in S64 and S65 times out (S53: No) or until the designation of the icons 111 and 112 is accepted through the input I / F 54 (S54: No). Wait for a while.

  Next, the terminal program 65 responds that the timer started in S64 and S65 has timed out (S53: Yes) or in response to accepting the designation of the [update] icon 111 through the input I / F 54 (S54). : Update), and the processing after S51 is executed. That is, the terminal program 65 acquires new status information from the MFP 10 and updates the display content of the status screen based on the acquired status information.

  That is, in response to the start of the first timer in S64, the terminal program 65 executes the next status acquisition process at the timing when the first time has elapsed after receiving the status information. Further, in response to the start of the second timer in S65, the terminal program 65 executes the next status acquisition process at the timing when the second time has elapsed after receiving the status information. That is, the execution interval of the status process is longer when the MFP 10 is determined to be in the sleep state than when the MFP 10 is determined to be in the operating state.

  Further, the terminal program 65 executes the next status acquisition process before the timer started in S64 and S65 times out in response to the tapping of the [update] icon 111. Then, the terminal program 65 ends the status display process in response to accepting the designation of the [end] icon 112 through the input I / F 54 (S54: end).

  According to the above embodiment, when the first value “ready” is set in the power supply information received in S62, the execution interval of the acquisition process is shortened, and when the second value “sleep” is set. The execution interval of the acquisition process becomes longer. Thereby, in order to transmit the remaining amount information to the information processing terminal 50, the MFP 10 can be prevented from being switched from the sleep state to the operation state. In addition, since the MFP 10 transmits status information in response to a request from the information processing terminal 50, the load on the MFP 10 or the communication network 101 is not increased.

  Although illustration is omitted, the terminal program 65 may determine whether or not communication with the MFP 10 is possible in S62 and set a value indicating the determination result in the communication flag. Then, for example, when the terminal program 65 determines that the fourth value “offline” is set in the communication flag, the terminal program 65 may skip the process of S63 and start the first timer. Thus, the latest status information can be quickly acquired at the timing when communication between the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 is restored.

  In addition, in the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 according to the above-described embodiment, an example in which each process executed by the controller of the present invention is realized by the CPUs 31 and 61 executing various programs stored in the memories 32 and 62. Explained. However, the configuration of the controller is not limited to this, and part or all of the configuration may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit.

  Furthermore, the present invention may be realized not only as the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 but also as a program that causes the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 to execute processing. Then, the program may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium may include a memory mounted on a server that can be connected to the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 through the communication network 101 in addition to a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or the like. The program stored in the memory of the server may be distributed through the communication network 101 such as the Internet as information or a signal indicating the program.

10 ... MFP
11 ... Printer 31A ... Main CPU
31B: Sub CPU
50 ... Information processing terminal 53 ... Display 54 ... Input I / F
55 ... Communication I / F
61 ... CPU
62 ... Memory 65 ... Terminal program

Claims (10)

A program readable by an information processing terminal including a communication interface and a display,
The program
An acquisition process for acquiring status information indicating the status of the image processing apparatus from an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that processes image data;
Causing the information processing terminal to repeatedly execute a display process for displaying the status indicated by the status information acquired in the acquisition process on the display at a predetermined time interval;
The status information includes at least one of first information and second information, and the first information is set to a first value when the power is supplied to the image processing unit, and the image processing The second value is information that is set in a sleep state in which no power is supplied to the unit, and the second information is information that can be acquired in the operation state and cannot be acquired in the sleep state. And
In the acquisition process, the program
First request processing for transmitting first request information for requesting transmission of the first information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
A first reception process for receiving the first information as a response to the first request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
Causing the information processing terminal to execute a first determination process for determining whether a set value of the first information received in the first reception process is either the first value or the second value;
In response to determining the first value in the first determination process,
Second request processing for transmitting second request information for requesting transmission of the second information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
Causing the information processing terminal to further execute a second reception process of receiving the second information as a response to the second request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
A program that does not cause the information processing terminal to execute the second request process and the second reception process in response to the determination of the second value in the first determination process. A program readable by an information processing terminal including a communication interface and a display,
The program
An acquisition process for acquiring status information indicating the status of the image processing apparatus from an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that processes image data;
Causing the information processing terminal to repeatedly execute a display process for displaying the status indicated by the status information acquired in the acquisition process on the display at a predetermined time interval;
The status information includes at least one of first information and second information, and the first information is set to a first value when the power is supplied to the image processing unit, and the image processing The second value is information that is set in a sleep state in which no power is supplied to the unit, and the second information is information that can be acquired in the operation state and cannot be acquired in the sleep state. And
In the acquisition process, the program
Causing the information processing terminal to execute a first determination process for determining whether a setting value of the first information is the first value or the second value;
In response to determining the first value in the first determination process,
All request processing for requesting transmission of both the first information and the second information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
Causing the information processing terminal to execute all reception processing for receiving the first information and the second information as a response to the all request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
In response to determining the second value in the first determination process,
Partial request processing for transmitting, through the communication interface, partial request information for requesting transmission of only the first information of the first information and the second information;
A program for causing the information processing terminal to execute a partial reception process for receiving the first information as a response to the partial request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface.   The program according to claim 2, wherein in the first determination process, the setting value of the first information acquired in the previous acquisition process determines whether the first value or the second value is set. The program
In the acquisition process at every elapse of a first time, the information processing terminal executes the first determination process,
The acquisition processing at every elapse of a second time longer than the first time acquires both the first information and the second information from the image processing device without executing the first determination processing. The program according to any one of 1 to 3. The program
In the acquisition process, the information processing terminal is caused to execute a second determination process for determining whether or not communication with the image processing apparatus is possible,
In response to determining that the first time has elapsed from the previous acquisition process and communication is impossible in the second determination process during the previous acquisition process, the first determination process is not performed, The program according to claim 4, wherein the information processing terminal executes the acquisition process of acquiring both the first information and the second information from the image processing apparatus. The information processing terminal includes an input interface;
The program
In the display process, an update object corresponding to an instruction to update the status information is further displayed on the display,
In response to accepting a user operation for designating the update object through the input interface, both the first information and the second information are acquired from the image processing apparatus without executing the first determination process. The program according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition process is executed by the information processing terminal. The first information is information indicating whether the image processing apparatus is in the operation state or the sleep state,
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second information is information indicating a state of a consumable used for the image processing unit to process image data. The first information is information that can be read from the device memory included in the image processing device in the operation state and the sleep state,
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second information is information that can be read from the device memory only in the operating state. The first information is information acquired by the first controller to which power is supplied in the operation state and the sleep state among the first controller and the second controller provided in the image processing apparatus,
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second information is information acquired by the second controller to which power is supplied only in the operating state. A program readable by an information processing terminal including a communication interface and a display,
The program
An acquisition process for acquiring status information indicating the status of the image processing apparatus from an image processing apparatus including an image processing unit that processes image data;
Causing the information processing terminal to repeatedly execute a display process for displaying the status indicated by the status information acquired in the acquisition process on the display at a predetermined time interval;
The status information includes first information and second information, and the first information is set to a first value when power is supplied to the image processing unit, and power is supplied to the image processing unit. The second value is information that is set when the sleep state is not supplied, the second information is information that can be acquired in the operation state and cannot be acquired in the sleep state,
In the acquisition process, the program
Request processing for transmitting status request information to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
A reception process for receiving the status information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface as a response to the status request information;
Causing the information processing terminal to execute a determination process for determining whether the setting value of the first information received in the reception process is the first value or the second value;
In response to determining the first value in the determination process, the information processing terminal executes the next acquisition process at a timing when a first time has elapsed,
A program for causing the information processing terminal to execute the next acquisition process at a timing when a second time longer than the first time has elapsed in response to determining the second value in the determination process.

Images